Fee to file with the state
$500
sec.state.ma.us, checked October 2026
LLC cost guide · Massachusetts
Starting an LLC in Massachusetts (2026): Official Costs and the 3 Best Services
For forming an LLC in Massachusetts in 2026, we recommend Mainstay Filing ($199), Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. The state's side of the bill is $500 to form and $500 every year for the Limited Liability Company Annual Report; for three years of state fees Massachusetts is number 49th among the fifty.
What Massachusetts charges
49th
of 50 by what the state bills across three years
First place is the smallest bill. Fifty states in one table
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
$500 / yr
The state sets the deadline as on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization. malegislature.gov, checked August 2026
State charges, years one to three
$1,500
The year-one filing together with years two and three
Our Massachusetts recommendations
The order follows five published criteria. They are set out on the methodology page.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for an LLC that runs itself on paper
Year one $199; renewal $199; the state fee is separate
Why Mainstay Filing leads: for $199 a year it files the Massachusetts formation, serves as resident agent and prepares the annual report, with a renewal price of $199.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is $200 cheaper across three years, but the coverage criterion pulls the other way.
Each year it files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report for you, and the $500 state fee is billed at cost.
What the price buys
- Your formation is prepared and filed
- Resident agent duties covered all year
- Your annual report is prepared and sent in
- Your EIN application goes in with the rest
- What the state charges is billed as it stands
In its favor
- No separate charge for the EIN application
- An all-in $199 a year
- Still $199 at renewal
Against it
- $100 a year more than Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's agent renewal
2. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for Massachusetts LLCs on a tight budget
$199 to form, then $99 yearly
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co follows: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is outside the price.
What the price buys
- The formation filing is prepared for you
- First year of agent service
In its favor
- $99 a year from year two
- $199 plus the state fee
- Nothing more to pay for the agent in year one
Against it
- The owner keeps the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
- Charges $99 for the EIN application
3. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a smaller agent renewal
$199 to form, then $99 yearly
MA Registered Agent.org follows: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is outside the price.
Its published prices match Massachusetts Registered Agent.co's exactly, so the two sit side by side.
What the price buys
- The formation filing is prepared for you
- First year of agent service
In its favor
- $199 plus the state fee
- $99 a year from year two
- Nothing more to pay for the agent in year one
Against it
- The owner keeps the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
- Charges $99 for the EIN application
The 3 picks at a glance
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199/yr | $597 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Massachusetts Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Massachusetts Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | MA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit MA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices as published on November 12, 2026. The $500 state fee is not part of any row.
State and service charges, by year
Pick a number of years and a service. The state portion follows the official schedule: $500 to form, then the Limited Liability Company Annual Report from year two.
Massachusetts next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 46th | Delaware | $910 |
| 47th | Nevada | $1,125 |
| 48th | Rhode Island | $1,450 |
| 49th | Massachusetts | $1,500 |
| 50th | California | $2,490 |
The full table is at LLC costs by state, with the smallest bills first.
The state's fee for a Massachusetts LLC
The Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization goes to the Massachusetts Secretary of State together with $500; the authority is M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12. The number is the same no matter which service files.
Staying in good standing: the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
Every year the LLC sends in the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, paying $500, on or before on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
The reasoning behind the order
Of our five criteria, paperwork the price takes on (26%) is what put Mainstay Filing above Massachusetts Registered Agent.co in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Registered Agent.co is cheaper, but you would handle the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself.
Massachusetts LLC service questions answered
How much does the state charge to start an LLC in Massachusetts?
$500 is paid to the state. Budget $199 if a service files for you.
What fee goes with the Massachusetts Limited Liability Company Annual Report?
$500 every year, filed on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization.
Where does Massachusetts stand on LLC fees?
Massachusetts is 49th of 50 for three-year state fees, at $1,500; the smallest bill ranks first.
Does Massachusetts require a resident agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which LLC services are recommended on this page?
Mainstay Filing ($199), Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199) and MA Registered Agent.org ($199), in order of preference.
Which service should file my LLC?
Mainstay Filing, because one yearly $199 pays for the formation, the resident agent and the annual report, with renewal at $199. Behind it come Massachusetts Registered Agent.co and MA Registered Agent.org.
Sources for this chapter
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, last opened August 2026
- malegislature.gov supplies Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, last opened August 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12, last opened August 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- sec.state.ma.us supplies Massachusetts registered agent statute, last opened October 2026
- delcode.delaware.gov supplies 6 Del, last opened August 2026
- delcode.delaware.gov supplies Delaware formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- corp.delaware.gov supplies Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, last opened October 2026
- corp.delaware.gov supplies Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, last opened October 2026
- legis.delaware.gov supplies Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source, last opened October 2026
- nvsos.gov supplies Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source, last opened October 2026
- leg.state.nv.us supplies Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source, last opened October 2026
- nvsos.gov supplies Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees, last opened October 2026
- webserver.rilegislature.gov supplies R.I, last opened August 2026
- sos.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- docs.sos.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- docs.sos.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, last opened August 2026
- sos.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, last opened August 2026
- tax.ri.gov supplies Rhode Island other cost, last opened October 2026
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov supplies Cal, last opened August 2026
- sos.ca.gov supplies California Secretary of State, last opened August 2026
- bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov supplies California Secretary of State, last opened August 2026
- sos.ca.gov supplies California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source, last opened October 2026
- ftb.ca.gov supplies California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and, last opened October 2026
- ftb.ca.gov supplies California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and, last opened October 2026
- Mainstay Filing lists its Massachusetts service page; we copied it November 12, 2026
- Massachusetts Registered Agent.co lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026
- MA Registered Agent.org lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026